


One Jump Ahead

by MiraculousDotExe



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AKA choose a frickin holder already so he can take their miraculous, Adrien is a con artist, Adrien was orphaned, Adrien won't become Chat for a few chapters, Aladdin-ish I suppose, And adopted by Nathalie from a boy's home, F/M, Gabriel is the prime minister, Hawky's building an army, He wants senpai to notice him, He's just naturally sly, It's like mass hypnosis, Kwami choose their own holders, Marinette is hecka sheltered, Multiple people can be akumatized at once, No Master Fu, Nooroo controls Dark magic, Okay here it goes, Plagg and Nooroo are the only kwami, Plagg controls Light magic, The akumatized people just look like normal people, Tom is the president, Very much an AU, Whoever has both of the miraculous has pretty much unstoppable power, and commit normal crimes trying to lure Chat in, anyway, bear with me, inspired by binge watching disney movies, no ladybug, please
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 17:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7900726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraculousDotExe/pseuds/MiraculousDotExe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU | All Marinette wanted was the freedom to choose her own path in life. Little did she know, as soon as she got it, fate and a little bit of magic would begin their plans to guide her towards a destiny she never expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Jump Ahead

Paris wasn’t standing still. Never did the lights of the city stop shining, nor did its residents. Beautiful, exciting, and historic, Paris was a place irresistible for those seeking a getaway. However, among the thrill seekers, sight seers, and natives, come the naive. The innocent and easily influenced walked every street, each unknowingly prey for one man in particular.

 

 

Hawkmoth looked from his window with a sneer. For months he had watched, listened, and waited for the day that had been promised to him since first being approached by his kwami. He had studied the citizens, taking note of those who wouldn’t be missed, sending out akuma, and hypnotizing them. Convincing them one by one to join his ever growing ring of crime. Meticulously, he had planned the robberies, assaults, and other acts that his bewitched heathens would carry out. From the most massive operation, to the smallest of petty crimes, he made sure that his ever-growing band of misfits were quick and careful, never getting caught.

His patience was wearing thin as he gripped the tie at his neck, ripping it from his body and casting it to the floor. Bright violet light surrounded him in in his de-transformation, his small, purple kwami dizzily appeared after being forced from the jewel upon his miraculous.

“Why isn’t it working?” The man questioned the creature before him. “You said it wouldn’t take him long to notice, but we’ve been at this for over half a year.”

Nooroo was calm in his response, faithful to his beliefs. “It won’t be long, you have to trust me. You know what’s at stake. If you give up now it’ll have all been for nothing.”

“Yes, I know. Undeniable power and influence sound wonderful in theory, but I still don’t understand what he has to do with it. We’re influential enough with the akuma. Why can’t we just take what we want through them?”

“Dark kwami magic is a powerful thing, but there’s only so much I can do on my own. If you capture my opposite, you’ll hold the Light as well. Combined, our power can’t be stopped.”

“How am I supposed to take him when we haven’t even seen so much as a glimpse of him?”

“He’ll show up, he always does. He’s picky about who he chooses as his holder, he probably can’t find a suitable person yet. When he shows up, you’ll know. And you’ll be ready, too. It’s been over a century since that pathetic excuse of a kwami bested me, I refuse to be disappointed by another human.”

“I’ll handle it. I want this control.”

“I know you do. You’re desperate, that’s why I chose you. Only one thing could be responsible for the state that we’ve reduced the city to. I’ve returned to work, and he’d be blind not to notice.”

 

Turning away from the magic being, he faced the window once more. He would have all that he wanted, and soon. “You can’t ignore it anymore, Chat Noir. We’ll draw you out of hiding even if we have to create…

 

 

…The largest crime wave Paris has ever faced!” The newscaster on television exclaimed with forced animation. Marinette sighed and turned off the TV, falling limply onto her bed. Her bedroom, now devoid of the light from her television screen, was only illuminated by the life of the street, with the glow from lampposts and cars slipping past her curtains in small beams. She couldn’t sleep, turning to face the ceiling as she recalled the day’s events.

I’ve got to get away from this. Earlier in the day she had said the exact same sentence to her father. Granted, it was less of a statement, then, and more of an exasperated shout. Marinette loved her father, she really did, but she was losing her mind. For years, her life resembled an episode of a bad sitcom where the main character relives the same day over and over again until they wake up and realize everything was a nightmare. Her nightmare was an endless loop of various lessons, publicity events, and meaningless conversations with foreign dignitaries. She was still waiting to wake up.

She knew she should be grateful for what she had. She knew that there were thousands of girls who would love to take her place. She also knew that this was not where she belonged. Marinette had always been a free spirit, longing for exploration and adventure. As the daughter of the current President of the French Republic, those things had never seemed farther away. Everything she did was on a schedule, everything she learned revolved around political sciences, everyone she knew were (and she meant this in the kindest way possible, as most of them were nice people) either staff or boring politicians.

Her father only kept her so sheltered because of concern, this much she understood. After Sabine passed away, Tom couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to Marinette that would put her in danger. This, however, caused nothing else to happen to Marinette either. Ever. When she tried to breach the subject with him hours before, things escalated into more than a simple conversation. She had prepared a series of carefully calculated points to present to him, making sure to keep facts and her feelings separated. She expected him to listen quietly, maybe nod, tell her he would talk to her about it later, and then completely forget for a week until he finished whatever it was he was currently involved with. Ha. What a thought. She wasn’t half way through her first point when he stopped her. He dismissed her, stating that she was to continue on as usual with the plan he had laid out for her.

“It’ll be easier this way, Marinette.” Tom sighed, looking away from her and back to the papers strewn across his dark mahogany desk. “Stay here, continue your studies, and when the time comes I’ll make sure you have a place in Parliament. You’ll never have to worry about a thing.”

Marinette pursed her lips for a moment before countering, “I don’t want to do the easy thing, Papa, I want my own life. I’ve always done everything you’ve asked of me because I respect you and I want to make you happy. Please, just talk to me about this.”

“What’s happening is what’s best for you, trust me.” The large man shook his head, still not interested in his daughter’s arguments against his judgement.

“How can it be good for me if I never learn how to take care of myself?” Her voice was louder than she intended as she questioned him, losing her cool demeanor slightly and compensating with aggravation.

Tom tensed. “I need you to understand what I’m trying to tell you. You’ve already begun making a place for yourself here. You’ve worked so hard to understand the inner workings of what we do. Don’t mess things up for your future just because you’re bored.”

“I’m not going to mess anything up for my future because this isn’t my future! This has been your idea since the beginning. This isn’t about being bored. I’ve been homeschooled almost all my life, I’ve never made a single real friend, I’ve always just quietly done what I was told, but I haven’t been living my own life!”

He looked away from his paperwork and back to his daughter, straightening his broad shoulders. “Your mother would have agreed with me,” he stated simply, growing increasingly irritated.

Marinette looked him in the eye. “Maman would’ve hated this as much as I do.”

“If you say you hate this so much then why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Because I didn’t want you to feel alone! I know how afraid you are of losing me, too, but the world is going to be so much more dangerous to me the longer I wait to find my way into it.”

“You have found your way! I have a perfectly planned path for you, why can’t you see this?” The man bellowed, finally losing his patience.

She shouted back, fighting to be truly heard. “I love you, but what’s happening isn’t my life, it’s yours! I’m an adult, Papa, I could have left anytime I wanted, but I wanted to talk to you about this because I thought I could make you understand! I’ve got to get away from this!”

“You may be an adult, barely might I add, but you are handling things like a child!”

“I’m not handling anything at all, if nothing’s going to change!”

“Leave. Get out of my office. You are going to continue on with things as they have been and that’s all I’m going to say about the matter. I’m busy, Marinette… Just go.”

Feeling tears of anger bite at her eyes, she blinked and turned toward the door with all the confidence she could muster, willing them away. She desperately wanted the last word, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Marinette left, going to her room and sitting in silence. She missed her mother terribly. What would Sabine have said after having witnessed that? She waited, calming herself, before going to see if there was anything that she could help with in the palace as a distraction.  
The girl now quietly laughed at herself. She felt foolish and tired. Hearing a soft sound in the corner, she turned to lay on her side and face the direction of the noise. Tikki, her tiny hamster, was staring back at her through the plastic of her enclosure. Tikki was an expressive, energetic, little thing with soulful eyes. She knew it sounded silly, but she was convinced that Tikki could understand her. Not her words, but she knew when Marinette felt sad, and always mirrored that sadness with her own. As if the small rodent was equally as distressed as her owner, she let out a dramatic sound, laying down and closing her eyes. Marinette giggled gently at the theatrics of the animal and closed her own eyes as well. Emotionally exhausted, but thankful in the knowledge that the day was over, Marinette Dupain-Cheng drifted into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this, that means you've made it to the end of a chapter! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! "What is /this/?", you may be asking. THIS is the product of WAYYY too little sleep, a week of binge watching Disney movies, and procrastination from my chemistry homework. I hope you enjoy this crazy little brainchild of mine and continue to follow it as it progresses♥ -Bai


End file.
